Card personalization systems and methods used in producing personalized cards and other personalized identity documents have been employed by institutions that issue such documents. Identity documents, which are often personalized by such systems and methods, include plastic and composite cards, for instance financial (e.g. credit and debit) cards, drivers' licenses, national identification cards, and other cards and documents which are personalized with information unique to the intended document holder.
Card personalization systems and methods can be designed for small scale, individual card personalization and production. In these systems, a single card to be personalized is input into a personalization machine, which typically includes one or two personalization/production capabilities, such as printing and laminating.
For large volume batch production of cards, institutions often utilize systems that employ multiple processing stations or modules to process multiple cards at the same time to reduce the overall per card processing time. Examples of such systems are disclosed by DataCard Corporation of Minneapolis, Minn., in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,825,054, 5,266,781 and its progeny, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,902,107. Common to each of these types of systems is an input with the ability to hold a relatively large number of cards that are to be personalized/produced, a plurality of personalization/production stations through which each card is directed to undergo a personalization/production operation, and an output that holds the personalized cards. A controller is typically employed to transfer data information and instructions for operating the input, the personalization/production stations, and the output. As with small scale card personalization machines, batch production systems also include printing and laminating capabilities.
Some personalization/production operations in these systems or machines, however, may produce undesired bowing effects in a personalized card. That is, a bend may occur in a personalized card as a result of the personalization/production operations performed on the card. Particularly, this bowing problem can occur as a result of heat lamination and other heat transfer operations that, when performed, may create a bow or bend in a personalized card.
The technical disclosure, as described hereinbelow, can provide a solution for reducing bowing effects resulting from personalized card production, and particularly from such personalization/production operations as heat lamination and other heat transfer processes.